


Autumn is Over

by orphan_account



Category: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Fandom
Genre: Assassin's Creed Syndicate Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Jacob had PTSD, Post-Jack the Ripper, Post-Jack the Ripper DLC, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Syndicate Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-14 01:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5723944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of Jack's rampage and death, Evie makes arrangements to stay in London to resolve all the issues created by Jacob's former apprentice while her brother tries to recover from the physical and emotional trauma inflicted upon him by Jack the Ripper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

     The clanging of the cell door hitting the wall stirs Jacob from the comforting hold of unconsciousness. He can't bring himself to open his eye, to look at his former apprentice, his former _son_. The now familiar panic grips Jacob, keeping him frozen in place, robbing him of what little fight and energy he'd been trying to muster. Jack is back. Too soon. _Too soon_. He can't handle another _session_. He can't handle hearing that familiar rasping voice painting gruesome scenes. Jacob can't handle Jack taunting him with his plans to mutilate and torture his _sister_ , his _**son**_ , everyone he's ever cared about.

     Hands that are too gentle, too small to be his grip Jacob, moving him into a position somewhere between sitting and laying. There's a familiar voice, one that he hasn't heard in so long, yet has heard every single day he's been locked in the cell, that pierces through the haze of terror keeping him still.

     Jacob is _terrified_ to open his eye. He's terrified to see what Jack has done to her. Because Jacob assumes that Jack's bested her as well. He'd been telling Jacob where Evie was, how close she was getting, how he had the perfect trap planned for her. But slowly, his good eye opens out of curiosity. He _wants_ to feel relief that Evie's okay, but Jacob isn't sure that she's _real_. It wouldn't be the first time that he's seen her standing above him only to have her disappear and be replaced by Jack.

     "I'm here, Jacob. I'm here," he hears her say as a gloved hand strokes the side of his face.

     The younger Frye can only stare for a few seconds at the concerned, worried look on his older sister's face. Darkness begins creeping in on the edges of his vision before he can find the energy to say anything in response to his sister's reassurances. Jacob doesn't fight it. It's a welcome relief from the ever present pain.


	2. Chapter One

     Jacob stills entirely and Evie can’t block back the swell of fear that threatens to overwhelm her. She can’t remember a time when Jacob looked so frail, so vulnerable. Even as a kid, Jacob had always been full of energy, full of live. Now her brother is broken. And she can’t see him breathing, can’t see the rise and fall of his chest. The glove on her hand is tugged off using her teeth and placed in front of Jacob’s mouth. After seconds that seem to stretch on for eternity, she feels the small puff of air against the back of her hand and sighs with relief, head lowering so that her forehead brushed Jacob’s.

     “Dame Frye!”

     Frederick’s voice pulls her back to reality. There’s no time to sit in the cell and hold her younger brother. The must leave before the journalists return and see them. No one can know about what happened at the asylum. Being gone before they returned would ensure that no one would learn of the events that had transpired.

     “Help me with him,” Evie orders, moving to attempt to drag Jacob to his feet. She’s more than a little surprised and worried at how easy it is to pull Jacob to his feet without Frederick’s help. 

     How long had Jack kept Jacob in this cell? How long since her brother last had anything to eat or drink? Evie could not begin to guess for the latter. But given how frail Jacob was, he had not eaten much during his captivity.

     “Does Jacob have any other lodgings that you are aware of?” Evie asks Frederick as they begin carrying Jacob up the stairs of the asylum basement.

     “None that I’m aware of,” comes the reply.

     The inspector gives little warning before he lets Evie take the brunt of Jacob’s weight at the top of the stairs. It’s only because she knows Frederick is clearing a path to ensure that no one sees them that she keeps the irritation off of her face. She drags Jacob behind a privacy panel near the stairs while she waits for their only ally to return.

     Frederick returns perhaps a minute later and their escape from the asylum continues. Jacob is deadweight strung between them, hanging limp with his feet dragging and catching on every cobblestone in the courtyard as they shamble towards to road where a carriage awaits. It’s a wonder they aren’t seen.

     Jacob makes a pained sound, something Evie does not want to consider a whimper, as the pair bundle him into the carriage. A second passes as Evie and Frederick stand there and stare at the shadow of the man they both knew.

     Before Evie can even think to climb into the driver’s perch, Frederick hauls himself up with a small groan. She’s both irritated and grateful for that. Irritated that she’s relying on Frederick so heavily, but grateful that she’s going to be able to watch over her brother while they get somewhere safe. With a small nod towards Frederick, she steps up to climb into the cab of the carriage. Before she settles entirely, she leans out, intent on asking Frederick a question.

     “Where do you plan to take us?”

     “Unfortunately… my flat. Get in the carriage and close the door, Dame Frye, before those bloody vultures return.”

     Evie studies what she can see of his face before acquiescing and shutting the carriage door. She pulls Jacob against her once again, cradling her twin’s head while she presses her body against his freezing form. Her fingers card through the parts of Jacob’s dirty, matted hair that aren’t so tangled. She expects Jacob to wake with every bump in the road, but he remains unmoving, only offering the smallest of groans and whimpers at the jostling of the carriage. Her fingers continue to card through Jacob’s hair, a habit that remains from the rare occasions she’d comforted Jacob when they were children.

     Evie measures time in the low, rasping breaths that Jacob takes. Two hundred and sixty-seven breaths pass before the carriage comes to a permanent halt. Three more pass before Frederick opens the carriage door and moves to help Evie maneuver Jacob out of the carriage with the least amount of jostling possible. He’s already been through enough.

     “I appreciate your help and discretion, Inspector.”

     The grunt she receives in response is enough. Evie’s never been one for idle chat when more important things were to be done. Like tending to her brother’s numerous wounds. Jacob hardly stirs as they carry him up the stairs to Frederick’s flat. Nor does he stir when he’s placed on the bed. Evie sits on the edge of the mattress, leans down and places her head on Jacob’s chest to listen for his heartbeat.

     “I’ll send a doctor ‘round to help Jacob. In the meantime, just make sure he keeps breathing.”

     She can hardly hear his heart beating in his chest. His breathing is too shallow, too labored for her liking. It terrifies her to think that Jacob is likely slipping away from her, that he's going to leave her like their parents. “Do hurry with that doctor, Frederick,” she responds, only just keeping her voice level.


	3. Chapter Two

         It’s hard work, stripping Jacob of his heavier clothes. But it’s a task Evie knows must be done to assess the damage Jack has inflicted upon her brother, knows it must be done so that the doctor can actually help once he returns with Frederick. Though she wishes nothing more than to place more and more of his coats on Jacob to warm him, Evie knows it’s better to at least remove his coat and pants herself than to let the doctor cut them off of Jacob’s prone form.

         Every so often, Jacob stirs into a semiconscious state. His face twists, becomes lined with panic. Evie doesn’t want to think about why he’s panicking every time she goes to remove his clothes. Her fingers card through his hair, trying to reassure him without waking him that it’s just her. But it seems her light touch isn’t enough to lull him back to sleep and Jacob’s good eye opens, fixes on her but doesn’t _see_ her. Jacob moves as if he’s going to attempt to shove her, but she catches his wrists, mindful of what injuries might be there.

         “Jacob. _Jacob_ , it’s me. _Evie_.”

         It takes continued reassurances that it’s actually her, but slowly, Jacob relaxes again. Evie pauses, waits for Jacob to say something. Anything. She wants to hear his voice. But Jacob still says nothing, just slips back into unconsciousness as she finishes pulling her younger brother’s heavier clothes and shoes off. The number of gashes that still oozed blood on his side concerned Evie, but not as much as the angry red skin around those gashes. A hand comes to rest on Jacob’s forehead, feeling for a fever. She can’t detect one, but it doesn’t stop her from worrying that Jacob’s wounds are infected.

         Evie feels only a twinge of guilt for piling more of Frederick’s blankets atop Jacob’s bleeding body. Her brother has been freezing to the touch for too long for her to worry about the state of Frederick’s bed or sheets. A hand runs through Jacob’s hair once again before Evie moves away to stoke the fire that Frederick had stare in the other room before leaving. She remains turned towards the open door so that she can keep an eye on Jacob while she tends to the fire that she hopes will heat Frederick’s flat quickly.

         Just as she starts to head back to the bedroom to watch over Jacob, Frederick finally returns with the doctor he’d promised to fetch.

         “He’s in the bedroom,” Frederick tells the doctor, motioning towards the open door while backing towards his front door. “Dame Frye, perhaps we should give the good doctor his space?”

         Evie stares at Frederick for a moment before deliberately walking back into the bedroom. She’s not planning on leaving Jacob’s side any time soon. She knows that she’s going to be needed. Jacob is going to need her there. He won’t trust just anyone. Especially not now.

         “I’m staying here, Inspector. As should you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the short chapter. My coursework is getting much harder than anticipated and I have not had much time to write. If anyone would like short drabbles to fill the time between updates on this fic, feel free to message me at tophatbrawler on tumblr.


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